Trae Long

Trae Long likes rules and order – a trait that serves him well as an accountancy
major and president of the college's Honor Council.

"I've always liked math," the senior from LaGrange says with a smile. "It was
my favorite subject, so accounting is a simple step from that."

That affinity for the orderliness of math meshes well with his role as leader
of the Honor Council, a job he takes seriously.

"Our honor code says that we will not lie, cheat nor steal nor tolerate those
behaviors in others," he said. "We have certain values that we honor – civility,
diversity and excellence. If there is a violation, a student or a professor will
report it to the honor council."

If there is enough reason to believe there was a violation, a hearing is held
in which the accuser and the accused have a chance to argue their case.

"We don't like people to think that we're out to get them," Trae says. "We really
hope not to see someone come to the Honor Council. But, in my opinion, it's a great
way to keep each other accountable. We know when we graduate that everyone deserves
that degree as much as those of us who really worked hard. It's important."

The council works with five sanctions, ranging from a zero on the assignment to
an F in the course.

"In really extreme situations, we can go to suspension or dismissal, but those
are very rare and almost never happen. If a student feels that we have been unfair,
they have the right to appeal to the provost within a week of our decision."

Rules and logic always have appealed to Trae and helped lead him to his major.

"My dad is a certified public accountant, and he suggested I look at accounting.
I took the first class in my spring semester of freshman year, and I knew that
it made sense for me to do that. I liked it, I was relatively good at it and I
knew when I graduated, there would be several jobs where I could use it."

Trae says the Accountancy Department has been a supportive place to learn.

"It is relatively small with a few professors so I have the same ones each semester,"
he says. "They know my name, what works for me, what doesn't work for others and
how to make sure that everyone understands everything."

Working together with his classmates has been one of Trae's favorite things.

"The department is close-knit because it is small. We have all these opportunities
to sit down and do projects together, to actually make sense of the accounting
and how it will work in the company and in public accounting."

Accounting is a great field of study, he says.

"It often gets listed as one of the most in-demand and most satisfying careers,"
he says. "If you start as an accounting major, there will always be a job for you
in just about any kind of business."

Friends for the Journey

LaGrange College attracts the best and the brightest from all over the world. For example, our most recent incoming class consisted of men and women from 19 states and 10 countries, and included:

76 members of Beta Club or the National Honor Society

71 members of service organizations

51 team captains in varsity sports

25 leaders involved in student government, with 11 presidents

Three students involved in school publications, one as editor

Two Eagle Scouts

20 musicians in band or orchestra

18 singers in choir

31 entertainers in performing arts

85 students in religious activities.

But you don’t have to be a star in high school to succeed at LaGrange. Here, you’re given the opportunity to discover the best in yourself and find your destiny – all in a caring and supportive environment.